Reviews by liamt07:

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a tulip, bottle thanks to freud! Huge white head, billowing, sticky, soapy etc etc, settling down to a thin layer, body is a deep orange, opaque with the yeast. Looks real good. Smell is spicy, bready, some alcohol, sweet malt, and a bit of hops. Smelled hoppier when I opened the bottle though, was big when I popped the cap. Taste is hoppy, but fairly balanced, the spices are right there too. Quite bitter in the aftertaste and a really dry, stinging finish as I gulp this. Pretty good Belgian IPA, only my second ever though, so I'm not one to judge! (586 characters)

More User Reviews:

A: The beer is slightly hazy yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation and a small amount of visible particles floating in suspension. It poured with a three finger high bright white head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a finger high head covering the surface.S: There are moderate aromas of yeast in the nose along with some notes of floral hops and spices. The spiciness particularly stands out in the finish.T: Like the smell, flavors of peppery spices and yeast stand out in the overall taste, which has a moderate amount of bitterness.M: It feels light- to medium bodied, clean and very dry on the palate with a high amount of carbonation.O: The beer is very easy to drink for the style and the alcohol is well masked from the taste. (795 characters)

Wrapped, corked and capped 750 ml bottle. The 'best by' date along the bottom of the label isn't notched. Although it goes all the way to 2017, I've decided to drink it sooner rather than later to get the maximum impact from the hops. One final note: I just noticed 11.2 fl.oz on the label, but this is clearly the big dog. Thanks in advance to OtisCampbell for the bottle.

Gorgeously gauzy goldenrod with a smattering of the superfine particles. A generous amount of carbonation hurries upward to add size to the already large head. Shockingly bright white, it was a top half of the glass filler immediately after the pour and is still a beautiful, rugged, rocky presence. Thick, arching strands of lace are arrayed every which way and should be present until the party's over. Subsequent pours add more haze to the glass, improving what is already an outstanding appearance.

The aroma is a gentle caresser rather than an aggressive pummeler. That's not to say that it isn't wonderful. There's an impressive combination of hop character: citric, floral and spicy at once. I don't appreciate much malt, but that's isn't what this beer is about. I do believe this is the best noble hop dominant nose I've ever experienced. The word 'refined' keeps coming to mind.

Upon tasting, I'm not immediately bowled over. Those looking for an 'aggressive pummeler' of a hoppy beer, along the lines of a supercharged IPA, will be disappointed. Now that I've reset my expectations regarding bitterness, I can assess the beer with a newly opened mind. Pale malt isn't noted on the palate in terms of flavor, but it's obviously working furiously behind the scenes to provide an underlying sweetness and to sand the edges off the hop buzzsaw.

As the ounces disappear, the hop flavor becomes more and more pungent (and more and more delicious). Whether that's due to warming or to the addition of the beer at mid-bottle, I couldn't say. What I do know is that this is a beer for lovers of noble hops. Lemon zest and lemongrass are especially prominent. The flavors usually attributable to Belgian yeast are nowhere to be found. I spoke too soon! My next mouthful delivered hints of yeastiness that will, hopefully, become definitive statements before long. I love how XX Bitter is continuing to change as I get deeper and deeper into the bottle.

Appearance update: we're now at 'considerably cloudy' and the gluesticky head continues to impress. Like the flavor, the appearance is improving with each addition to the glass. Where will it end? The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium and is on the undercarbonated side for a Belgian beer. I like it just fine, but it isn't quite a match for the rest of this remarkable ale.

It took a great deal of effort to remove the cork from this bottle of De Ranke XX Bitter, but it was worth every grunt and heave. I don't believe I've ever had a Belgian pale ale that can compare to this one. Although it isn't the bitter bomb that I was expecting, it is the hoppiest non-U.S. beer I've ever had. All things considered, it's probably a better beer than the one that lived in my hop-fevered imagination. Refined. World-Class. Highly recommended. (3,176 characters)

Hoppiest beer in Belgium?Pours a nice hazy orage/golden color with a huge blooming head that globs up on the side of the glass,citruisy aroma with some deep honey estures pretty appetizing.Taste starts ut dry and leafy definent hop profile but not a big fan of the heavy medicinal flavor in the finish and aftertaste all good up till then.A well made Belgian Pale but a little to medicinal for me. (397 characters)

Appearance - This is a gorgeous, light orange in color with a glowing character and an explosive head that left some nice lacing.

Smell - The light aroma of Belgian yeast and orangey hops is well-refined. There are some stiff Belgian spices in there too. The coriander particularly is high-end and quite enticing.

Taste - The smells from the nose come out exactly in the taste. The delicate yeast, modest orange and herbal hops, and the elaborate spicing, again with coriander leading the way, all work very well together.

Mouthfeel - This was the best part of the beer for me. The body is shy of medium and the carbonation is as good as I've ever had. Yes the bitterness is there, but the ingredients of this BPA are of such high quality and the brewing process obviously so effective that there are no sharp corners to the texture.

Drinkability - The flavors of this BPA make it drinkable enough, but coupled with its exceptional mouthfeel I can't think of a more sessionable Belgian Ale.

Comments - This is such a terrific beer. I don't know why it didn't work well for me on-tap. My overall on-tap rating didn't even break 4.0. Maybe it was just a bad keg or an off night, because this is an exceptional ale.

Update - I had a chance to pop another bottle in early 2011. It really is an incredible beer full of life with a unique hop flavor, for firm for the style, and a terrific drinker. (1,398 characters)

By blending the complex yeasty fruit character of a Belgian ale and the bone dry body of a good IPA, this superb hybrid truly delivers. Served on tap in a large Unibroue tulip at Brasserie V in Madison, WI. Appearance is a bit disappointing on tap as there is no head. This is partially the result of an overly generous and poorly executed pour but still, I would like to see a touch of lace at least. I dont recall having this problem when Ive consumed it out of the bottle. Body is light orange and clear. Aroma is clean and spicy with hints of citrus and floral hops and touches of fruity yeast. Taste contains a pale malt backbone but that is just an afterthought. Hops dominate this beer. Sharp citric flavors and feel hit the front of the palate while dry spicy notes pound the back. All the while a generic fruity (think cotton candy) yeast flavor balances and rounds everything out. The superb mouthfeel makes this beer fun to drink and the peppery dry finish makes it easy. A great beer. (1,000 characters)

This is like Orval on crack. A very heady and carbonated brew. Bit of resiny hop bitterness on the tongue as well as some in the aroma. This is doubled with the effects of medicinal phenols as well as the yeast flavors. Lots of bitterness and phenolic activity with hints of lemon, horse blanket and mineral. Touch of fruitiness gets lost as well as the malt as it attempts to add some sweetness to the brew. In the end it is quite dry. (436 characters)

11.2 oz bottle served into a tulip glass. Whoa! Lots of foam here, and a messy pour. Slightly hazed golden yellow body underneath an enormous, pitted, head. Hard to believe so much foam came out of such a small bottle, with a delicate pour. Lots of patchy lacing is no surprise, after the head settles down a bit. Aroma has some citrusy lemon, spicy coriander, Saaz hops, and dank yeastiness. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated, with that Belgian effervesence. Dryness is immediately apparent. Light medium body. Unusual taste for a Belgian ale(label proclaims this "the hoppiest beer of Belgium"), with leafy, dry hops. Some white grape fruitiness lurks underneath and is the saving grace of this ale. Otherwise, a bit chalky and dry, with a dank yeast note and some coriander spiciness. Not as hoppy as an APA or IPA, but certainly more hoppy than other Belgians I've sampled. A nice session ale at 6% abv, and a most interesting take on a Belgian Golden Ale. (957 characters)

on tap at the Moan and Dove. Golden, hazy, white head, strikingly good looking lace. hop/yeast nose, yum yum, this is gonna be good my senses tell me. Medium bodied brew. Gobs of Belgian yeast notes, fruity, spicy, earthy, phenolic. Crushing and crisp hops very evident, spice in the back ground, a bunch of yeast gremlins dancing around in the rear. Complex, sophisticated and mostly just fine and tasty. Seek and enjoy. (421 characters)

Mouthfeel: only slightly bitter but a nice dry taste towards the end, light bodied with high carbonation

Overall: A solid Belgian IPA that had more of a Belgian feel than a hoppy one that I get with American versions of this style. The beer has a super dry finish. Left me wanting to have another one, yet there are others in the style I would go to first. (592 characters)

It all comes back to me...the boisterous head atop the cloudy yellow beer. Lacing everywhere. Aromas are a mix of orange rind, peppery spices, and fresh grassy hops. Flavor is a Belgian crossed with a big-time IPA. Loads of complexity roll across the palate. Dark fruits, hops....ending with a dryness infused with lemon rind. Great body and extremely drinkable. Awesome. (448 characters)

Poured from a capped and corked 750ml bottle, best by 07 2012. So I guess this was a young buck. Pours a very nice dark amber with billowy head, that leaves nice lacing and moderate retention. Smell is lite hops and malt, some Belgian yeast. Immediate and nice hops on the tongue, sweetness in middle hop bitterness in the finish. Finish lingers and is very pleasant. Mouthfeel is a joy, this is rich buttery beer. This is a very nice beer and well worth a try. Another great offering from De Ranke. (499 characters)